The attempted attack follows a series of suspected sabotage incidents linked by investigators to Russian military intelligence
Air traffic at Leipzig/Halle Airport was suspended shortly before midnight after authorities discovered a drone carrying an explosive device.
According to Bild, the device failed to explode because its detonator was faulty. Rather than carrying out a controlled detonation, specialists from Germany’s federal police recovered the drone in a secure containment vessel for forensic examination.
A security source told Euractiv the explosive is believed to have been based on ANFO, a mixture commonly made from ammonium nitrate fertiliser and fuel oil, which is comparatively easy to manufacture.
The drone was reportedly found directly next to a Ukrainian Antonov cargo aircraft. Leipzig/Halle Airport serves as a major European logistics hub for military supplies for Ukraine.
